


Wine Red

by biggestcats



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Vampire, F/M, M/M, and shiroitozawa are devils/demons, aobajosai are werewolves, karsuno are gargoyles, monster war, nekoma are vampires, things get messy ok, vampire
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-13
Updated: 2017-08-19
Packaged: 2018-12-14 18:35:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11789046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/biggestcats/pseuds/biggestcats
Summary: In the midst of being caught in the cross-fires of a monster on monster war, you find that in your dull town not everything is as it seems to be. With the heat of hell's worst breathing down your neck, you also find that the fire inside of you burns far brighter than you ever thought so long as the right person ignites it.





	1. Chapter 1

In a tired and dull town there isn't much going for you. Boring people with boring lives, a repetition of brick buildings and broken up paved roads. There was no graffiti to stare at, there was no yearly festival to bring out the best in the city, and there for sure wasn't anything worth noting. Everything was jumbled together and grey, nothing stood out and no one stood out save for the occasional passerby who stopped for gas and then hightailed it back to the highways. 

It seemed everydays routine was the same as the one before: wake up, attend school, go home, eat, homework, sleep, lather, rinse, repeat. Ask anyone and they'll say they've all had times where they felt like their life was on a loop but in this town truly every day felt exactly like the last. But that was to be expected living in a factory town. That was what your mother said anyways, coming home from her 12 hour shift utterly exhausted. 

Only few children played in the streets but they were back in the shelter of their homes much sooner than dusk, and unlike the movies you occasionally watched teenagers didn't sneak from their rooms and roam the streets in search of trouble at ungodly hours of the night. In what little of a high school you had the kids seemed to be almost drained, and the younger kids weren't that far off either. You weren't the only one who felt like they were stuck in some sort of twilight zone and often you and numerous other classmates would talk about their plans for when they're adults and they can escape the god forbidden city. However with age those plans seemed to simmer and die down, and one by one the kids who'd sworn they'd leave the city in the dust joined the work haul in assembling parts for factories. It was a rare thing for someone to actually leave, and when they did they often came back years, even decades later. It felt like no one could truly break away.

Sometimes it scared you to think you'd meet the same fate. As a senior in highschool with nothing really going for you other than a 'promising' spot as your mother's assistant worker building some type of car parts, you felt like you were going to become like the rest of the people you knew. It was terrifying to think you'd be like your mother one day, coming home at nearly 12 am every single night and feeling like the life had been sucked out of you.   
  
When you were younger you could faintly remember a time when you were among the small children playing kickball in the mostly empty streets. Your friend since what, 3rd grade, had recently picked up a job at the bakery next door to his house. It seemed better than a factory but even the cafe's and restaurants were so... Industrialized. Save for the nearly out of business bar at the end of your road all the shops were as greyed out as the rest of everything else, made only for consumption for workers rather than casual visitors. It was better than nothing, you supposed. Thinking back on your past you did miss the days when you still felt like you had a chance to leave, but now that seemed far away. Just like everyone else you would accept for 'fate' and live your life, marry, have kids, work, and erode. Running around pretending you were an astronaut with your school friends was fun while it lasted but you were pulled from your adventure when your mother (back when she took the night shifts) would call you just past 4 pm. Like that your group would disperse even if the sun had barely fallen beyond the buildings roofs.

"It's for your safety," Your mother would say while starting dinner. "The streets here aren't safe at night."

You'd asked her what she meant but she never really gave you an answer past 'they just aren't safe'. With just you and your mother sharing a dingy apartment together you had no relatives to ask and your friends were in the dark just as much as you were. Sometimes you and your mother would argue over little things, her job and the stress of raising you alone clashing with your curiosity and immaturity, but eventually those fights would stave off for another day. Some Days were harder than others but generally things smoothed back to how they always were- dull and grey, everyone silently praying for the other shoe to drop.

Today was as tiresome as the last, and you trudged into your room after class and flopped into your bed with a heaving sigh. Rolling onto your back you lazily stared at the ceiling and zoned out while looking over the small glow in the dark stars you had stuck on your ceiling when you were younger. It was against the rules to have poster or tapes on the walls but you put them there anyways otherwise you felt like you'd go crazy in a white room with tan carpets, empty save for your bed, a dresser, a nightstand, a tiny closet, and a window with a 'to die for' view of just your road. Your apartment was on the third floor so at least you could see the sky at night.

Your mother called you around 10ish, telling you that she wouldn't be home until well past 2am. This wasn't the first time she'd been working way over time and it wouldn't be the last, but you felt... Off today. For some reason you found it hard to sleep that night, sitting in your bed and once again keeping your eyes fixed on those stars. There wasn't much to think about but you thought anyways, imagining greater things than just... Working. You'd die to feel the wind on your hair, or a mighty sword in your hand. Hell, you'd die to just own a pet. But that wasn't reality unfortunately. 

With your bed next to the window you sat up on your elbows and looked at the real stars, wondering what it would be like to be made for things bigger than what you were. You wished you could be a star sometimes, even if all they did was just watch the world unfold beneath them. People wished upon stars but they never really seemed to answer- and you'd know, you've prayed to the stars until you were blue in the face to just get you out of this place but they remained silent. As you watched, tilting your head every so often, you were interrupted. The street lights suddenly flickered, and your attention was turned towards a figure among the shaky lighting. 

That was the first time you saw him.

He was doubled over in the empty street, one hand on the ground, the other holding his gut. The light kept flickering as he tried to bring himself to his feet, and every time he failed he hit the pavement and for a moment he was shrouded in total darkness until the light started unsteadily glowing again. With the curtains pulled back you could see him clearly by not well enough to recognize him, and the fact that his head was pressed to the ground did you no favors. What you could figure out was that he had raven black _messy_ hair, his dark clothes seemed almost tattered, and he was obviously in pain. Something was very off about him, and not about the obvious effect he had on the street lamp. No one, _no one_ was out past dark, let alone _midnight_ unless they were working- and even then they rushed to get home.

Though the night was always silent with sleep the air felt almost alarmingly dead. Not so much as a cricket chirped.

It felt like you were frozen in place as you watched him raise his head from the ground, palms pressed flat on the pavement. For a moment neither of you did anything, you holding your breath with your fingers clutching onto the curtain and him on his hands and knees, face still not visible. Your heart thudding in your ears and you wondered if you should help him given he must of been in a great deal of pain, but you couldn't bring yourself to move from your paralyzed state. You dared to let out a shaky breath, and in an instant he snapped his head in your direction.

His eyes were vibrant yellow, the color almost glowing, and they were looking straight at _you_.

Your heart fell into your stomach, blood running cold as you let the curtains go and sat up to press yourself against the wall while the fabric fell into place and hid you from the outside world. He had seen you, there was no doubt about that, but that wasn't what wracked your mind the most. It was his eyes. Among that fact that they literally seemed to be glowing they didn't appear to be... Human.  You couldn't explain how you knew that since he was so far away but they way you felt when he locked eyes with yours, the absolute _dread_ , could not have been caused by a human.

It took an incredible amount of willpower for you to muster up the courage to scoot closer to the window again, fingers pinching the curtain as you barely drew it back enough to peek outside again. Your breath left you, your stomach dropping when you saw him not only on his feet, but he was standing just outside the light the lamp offered, and you could still see those _eyes_. He was looking right at you and if that didn't make your blood stale enough he wasn't doing anything, just standing there, _watching_. That dread rolled over you yet again and you gasped, dropped the curtains into place again. You were shaking so hard it felt like you were going to have a seizure.

A horrid feeling dawned on you in remembering your mother wasn't even home right now. Sure you lived in an apartment complex but the walls were thick enough to block out most and all noise given they were made for workers that needed their sleep. You were all alone and this man saw you, knew where you were, caught you watching him. 

Frightened beyond belief you pushed the covers off your feet and clicked the lamp on your nightstand, relieved in seeing light fill your room. Even if it was just light it made you feel just a tad safer, but seemingly not safe enough for your heart rate to come back down. You couldn't bring yourself to look out the window again in fear that he'd either still be there or worse- he'd be even closer. You had no idea what to do. Part of you wanted to call your mother and ask her to come home but you didn't want to interrupt her work, so instead you pulled your blanket up to your chin like a child and stared at your bedroom door like you expected something to plow through it any minute.

Whatever you were waiting for, it never came.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> thanks so much for the comments on chapter one! you're all so sweet ilusm... hope you enjoy chapter two!

It was a miracle that in your panic induced state of mind you had fallen asleep. You didn't really remember doing so, and truthfully you didn't remember even laying back down, but you blinked yourself awake at the tune if your alarm clock blaring in your ear. With a cringe then a short stretch you swung your feet around the bed but had yet to get up, staring down at your lap. Your mind felt foggy and heavy like you'd woken up from sort of drug, and while you knew you had to get ready for school you couldn't bring yourself to really plant your feet on the flooring. You hadn't even turned your alarm clock off yet.

All the noise seemed to drown out as you stared, eyes blankly tracing the lines and marks on the palms of your hands. For a moment it felt as though you were floating but your spacey state seemed to crash all at once, anxiety rupturing every nerve in your body.

The boy outside your window.

Despite it being broad daylight you still ripped back your curtains and peered down at your street, eyes finding their way to that lamp. Not only was there no one underneath it, but the street was lonely save for a few cars passing by and a few walkers that didn't resemble the person you'd seen what so ever. Compared to the people you saw on the daily he would have stuck out, and something in your gut told you if you saw him you'd  _know_.

You swallowed and let the drapes fall back over your window, finally turning to click your alarm clock and stop it's annoying beeping. For another long few seconds you just sat staring straight ahead, for some reason unable to grasp that the day had begun. 

"___!" Your mother called from outside your door. 

"Hm...?"

"Are you waking up in there?"

You sucked in a breath and stretched again, shaking your head and trying to blink yourself out of your emptiness. "Yeah, sorry, I didn't get much sleep last night." While you debated telling her about the person you had seen there would have probably been more negatives than positives. She'd have yelled at you for being up so late first of all, and second of all with all her stressing over work and bills the last thing she needed was to know you'd been eyed down by some creep in the middle of the night. It was likely that was a one-night thing and wouldn't occur again, so what was the point of bringing it up. 

"Alright, well," She sighed tiredly. "I'm heading off to work. Make sure you get to school on time, call me if you need anything!"

"Bye, love you!" 

"Love you too, sweetie!" 

Her work boots thudded against the floorboards and you heard the front door swing open than closed. When you were younger and just arriving to the age of being able to watch yourself that sound felt so... Lonely. Sometimes you were scared she would never come back, abandoning town and leaving you there with it, but as she came home every night and you grew older you began to appreciate the times you could be alone. Sure, you loved your friends and mother to death, but there were times where you wanted nothing more to just, well, be by yourself. 

Although you'd told her you would be to school on time you flopped back into bed, holding a pillow over your face and groaning into the plushness. You wished you could go back to sleep as it felt like you hadn't gotten any rest, but duty called, so you tossed your pillow at the foot of your bed and urged yourself enough to just get up.

You considered calling in sick as you brushed your hair then your teeth, but as you started to change into your day clothes you decided against it. As the day rolled on you'd manage to wake yourself up- today you were just... Sluggish. 

Grabbing your backpack off your doors handle you threw it over your shoulder and looked yourself in the mirror one last time. Though you were usually someone who could hide your discomfort or even at times emotions, you couldn't deny your face looked much less lively than it normally did. This didn't bother you as much as you felt it should. Maybe it would be a blessing, maybe your classmates would assume you're sick and not talk to you as much as they normally did. You could use the break.

You locked the door behind when you left in knowing your mother wouldn't be home until hours after you'd return and then decided to use the elevator rather than the stairs for the first time in months. The damn thing had broken down on you and you were stuck for a few hours and you vowed to never use that elevator again even if your life depended on it. Well, obviously your life didn't depend on it, but you were too tired to care as you punched in the first floor. It was a smooth and easy glide down three stories and you were out of harm's way in less than 15 seconds.

The path to your school was a short and winding one, and the first stop was to pass by that same street lamp. Every single time you'd walked by or under it you brushed it off but today you got closer than usual, stood directly on the spot where you'd seen him. Perhaps it had been a dream from exhaustion, and maybe the fact that it was a nightmare was why you hadn't felt rested. It seemed likely and a much easier explanation as to why he seemed to inhuman and to why the whole situation felt so surreal to you. 

Unfortunately it wasn't a dream. They were small, but definitely there: small drops of blood that had already been dried against the concrete. For all you know they could have always been there and this was all some huge coincidence but something in your gut told you otherwise, and suddenly there was a bristling feeling that had you looking over your shoulders. Your paranoia must have been spiking as you quickly made your way to the schoolhouse, feeling like you were being watched the entire way there.

\---

Throughout your classes you never once felt any better than you had when you walked in. If anything you felt even more drained than before, your bookbag almost too heavy on your shoulder as you trudged your way home. During third hour a random stormed seemed to pass by, the thunder shaking the windows of your classroom and the rain pelting the glass so hard it sounded like it would shatter. Sometimes when it stormed you felt anxious, limbs trembling despite being safely tucked into your class or home, but today to barely even registered until one particular flash of lightning slammed right outside the school yard. The power blinked for a few moments and while your classmates quietly chatted among each other you just blankly stared out the window.

Luckily by the time you got out and began your journey home it had stopped, leaving the sidewalk and roads soaked. You watched the small streams of water float down the curbs until they poured into the sewage drains, the waters carrying leaves and sometimes little insects. The sky was still dark and as intimidating as it was when the storm first hit but no rain fell, no thunder roared and no lighting cracked more burns into the already dying grass. One of your classmates passed you by, his house only a road away from yours, and as he did he gave you a playful shove that nearly sent you hurdling towards you ground if you hadn't managed to catch yourself. 

"Oh shit," He'd said, watching you like he had actually expected you to hit the dirt. "I didn't mean to hit you that hard."

You brushed him off and barely even replied when he said he'd see you tomorrow before taking off, his energy almost making you feel more sluggish than before. You used the elevator again when you came into your apartment complex, and the walk down the hallway to your door felt like all eternity. Despite the homework weighing you down the only thing you wanted to do was sleep. When you finally did arrive to your apartment's door, there was one small detail that you almost overlooked, but even with your foggy mind you still felt your nerves prickle again. 

The door was unlocked and pushed right open even though you knew for certain you had locked it when you left, and if your mother had come home early she would have locked it too. Cautiously you peeked inside and set your bag down, unzipping it quietly and pulling out the sharpest pencil you could find. It was small and likely wouldn't do much damage but as you checked room to room it would work better than nothing. 

Your front door was located in an odd area. Upon walking in the living room was straight ahead, the hallway with two bedrooms and a bathroom to the left, and your kitchen on the right. From where you stood you could see the living room and the kitchen were clear (and in hindsight you should have grabbed a knife) and you moved as stealthy as you could to the hallway. As you slowly, slowly pushed your mother's bedroom door open your heart thudded in your ears yet again. From what you could tell her room was empty, the layout nearly the same but she had a queen bed rather an a twin size. Next was your room, and you were tedious in holding the doorknob tight in your hands, very quietly turning it and then pushing the door open with your shoulder.

"Hello?" You breathed, anxiety filling your throat. When there was no reply you stepped inside and kept an iron grip on your pencil, ready to use it at any given moment. From what you could tell your room was empty as well, and everything seemed in order. Except... Your closet door was closed.

Surely someone had been here.

"Hello?" You repeated again. Maybe it was a landlord coming in unannounced and had left already. Maybe that intense feeling of being stalked was just getting to you. Though your hand shook as you reached for it, you pulled the closet door handle and...

Nothing.

You should have felt relieved to see your house was empty, and there was no killer waiting in the shadows to grab you, but you couldn't relax. Something felt too wrong.

"You say 'hello' like someone would actually answer."

The speed you turned on your heel and whipped around was enough to leave your head spinning for just a second, but when you took in the features of the person sitting on your bed you gasped. Dark hair, dark clothes, piercing golden eyes.

"You." Your voice come out as shock, like it was almost a question, and you backed away from him as though he might actually hurt you. He didn't seem violent, just sitting on your bed like he hadn't a care in the world, but the fact he had not only broken into your house but hid from you enough to sneak up behind was more than enough to let you know he was dangerous.

"Me." When he stood his height was much greater than yours, and it was likely those extra few inches were not given by his boots. His broad shoulders rolled as he placed a hand on his neck, seemingly to rub a crick out casually. 

You took another step back when his eyes came to meet yours. "You were outside last night."

"I was," He sang, looking down at you and tilting his head. "And you saw me."

Fighting the urge to gulp you strengthened the grip on your pencil (though something told you against him it would be useless). His eyes seemed to follow your action, moving from your gaze to trail down your arm and stop at your weak choice of weapon. He laughed.

"A pencil?" He snickered, a hand coming to cover his mouth. He loose posture and devious persona confused you for some reason. You expected someone much more bloodthirsty. "You're going to fight me with a pencil?"

"Not if I don't have to." Hopefully you could just get him to leave and not start anything. "Get out of my house."

"You're either brave or stupid." His words were still as taunting as they had been moments ago but a chill crept up your spine. You dared take a step forward and he watched you with amusement, and that fact that you were still breathing was enough to make you wonder just who he was and what he wanted with you. 

"Why are you here?" 

He plopped back down on the bed but when he did there was a sudden jerk in his movements, his body shifting to the left for just a second before he steadied himself. "To talk."

"You're hurt." You stated, eyes focusing in on his side. You remembered last night seeing him doubled over in what looked like agony, and then those drops of blood on the ground surely meant something. 

"And?"

You shifted your weight. "I can help you."

"Really?" He asked, raising his eyebrows, that same expression of amusement crossing his features. "I'd love to see you try."

"I will, and I... I can, but... Only if you leave afterwards."

"No can do." He started and leaned forward, hands resting atop your blankets. "We need to talk."

"I don't even know you."

"And you don't want to, trust me."

"Then leave."

His eyes narrowed and this time you didn't look away. "I can't."

" _Why_?"

The man huffed, and leaned back again, biting at the inside of his cheek. "You seeing me out there... You have no idea what you've started."

You stared at him as though he bore two heads. "Excuse me?"

"You should have minded your business."

"I did! You were the one who stood outside my window like- like some sort of freak!"

In an instant he was back on his feet and looking down at you, his eyes narrowed and his pupils slits. The expression on his face was a dangerous one and it scared you enough to back up even further, but this time he followed you with every step until you felt like you were a bug trapped in a corner. 

For a while he did nothing just like he had the previous night, just staring at you with his glowing eyes, but moments later he backed off and finally your body allowed yourself to breathe again when he approached your window.

"You should be more careful." The man stated blankly, turning his back on you and pulling back the curtains to peer outside. "You have no idea what's out there."

"You mean things like you?" You were not the type of person to be defiant but you couldn't help it. He broke into your house, he scared you shitless, and now he was talking so cryptically. 

Over his shoulder he stared at you. "There are things much worse than me, ___."

You gaped at him. He knew your name, and if that wasn't alarming enough he apparently knew how to pay you visits whenever he pleased. Another chill shivered through you but this time you felt something more-- fear.

"How do you know my name?" You asked, voice barely above a whisper. He turned back towards the window and snickered again, that same condescending tone making a return. 

"Humans are always so easy," He mumbled. He ran a hand through his hair and shook it out, though it didn't look any messier than it had previously. "You're all so open with your lives. Even in a dead town like this- I can find anything."

The fact of him possibly knowing your mother was enough to set you off even more than before. What if he tried to hurt her, what would you do? 

"You said I started something. What exactly did I do?"

The man turned and sighed, seemingly much more put together than he had moments ago. If he had another mood swing you swore you'd end up getting whiplash, not being able to keep up with the things that seemed to set him off in an instant. He let the curtains fall and sat back down on the bed, his face screwing up in pain for another second. 

"I'm sure you know not everything is exactly normal in this town," he said, leaning back. Through his confident expression and devious demeanor, you could still see that certain expression in his eyes. He was in pain. You took to leaning against the wall by the door just incase you needed to make a quick escape anytime soon, and you looked at him while he spoke. "There are things out there that would eat this town whole if they could. Poor you, you should have no place in this but you do now."

"Because I saw you...?" Though you tried to not interrupt you couldn't understand how just seeing him would get you into trouble.

"They have eyes everywhere.  _Everywhere_. In the very moment I saw you in the window, they saw it too. They know you know. I put you to sleep as soon as I could but it seems that it's too la-"

"You knocked me out?!" You nearly shouted, infuriated that he'd come into your house the previous night. 

He seemed taken aback but your sudden outburst, none the less the fact that you interrupted him. However that initial disbelief soon changed into hostility.  "You're welcome." He hissed. "The only side effect is that the next morning you can feel tired, but I'm sure you figured that out already."

His irate tone made you give in embarrassedly, tearing your gaze away from him and frowning. All throughout the day you'd felt absolutely awful and even now your eyes were burning, bones begging for rest, and it was all because he'd somehow knocked you out for the night.

"So then if they have eyes everywhere why did you look at me? Why are you here right now, isn't that just making things worse?"

"I'm sure it is."

You set your gaze to the floor. "Who's they?" Part of you didn't want to know the answer.

"That's a long story." He said matter-of-factly, eyes tracing over the stars on your ceiling. It made you feel odd for some reason, like he shouldn't be looking at them. Only you were allowed to.

"Then what are..." You shifted your weight. "You?"

He sighed a laugh and narrowed his eyes at you. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Well if I somehow threw myself into trouble from just looking at you, then... I don't know. You must be  _something_."

He patted his knees, suddenly standing. "The long story short is I'm a vampire."

Once again you just stared at him, jaw slack with disbelief. "That isn't... Those aren't real."

"Rather you believe me is up to you, but I'm telling the truth. I'm actually really honest once you get to know me, y'know."

"I don't want to get to know you," You grunted, and he pretended to be hurt by your statement. "If you're a vampire then how are you injured. Aren't you supposed to have, like, inhuman strength or something?"

He laughed at you again. "My kinds strength and ability may be a bit more than your own but we can't just regenerate. We take time to heal, too." He sighed and chuckled at you again. "You watch too many movies."

For a minute or two you were just silent, too deep into thought and trying to grasp the fact that you were talking to an actual vampire. He didn't look anything like from what you'd expect a vampire to look like. Save for his eyes he seemed like he could fit into some other town and pass as a civilian. He had no nails like claws, no pointy ears,  no narrow nose or deadly pale skin. If anything he was rather attractive, and if not for the fact that his mood changed at the drop of a pin he'd be almost alluring to you. You bit at your lip nervously.

"How do I know you're telling the truth."

He put a hand to his heart, bowing his head. "You have my word."

You couldn't help but scoff, rolling your eyes. "Yeah thanks, that really convinces me."

"Do you want me to bite you?" He asked suddenly, that same smug-like expression coming back.

"HELL no." The deadpan of your voice seemed to be enough to throw him off for a second, and he blinked at you before grinning at you all cat-like. 

"Huh. I thought girls were always dying for a vampire lover."

"Get out of my house." You demanded, pushing yourself off the wall and flashing your pencil again. "I will use this if I have to, so help m-"

Before you could even get the last syllable out, you found yourself pinned roughly to the wall, the back of your head hitting the plaster and making you cringe in pain. Your wrist was stuck fast above your head and  _now_ you could feel those almost claw like nails gripping your arm hard. The speed and strength of the entire move made you falter and drop the pencil right about when your head cracked back, the tool hitting the ground with a barely audible thud. You gulped and brought yourself to slowly look up and catch his line of sight, wishing you could disappear at the way he was staring are you, like he was just dying to tear you to pieces. 

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." The sheer amount of venom in his words was enough to almost bring tears to your eyes. He watched  you in silence, judging your reactions,  _daring_ you to try to push against him.

"I'm sorry." You whispered.

His dark expression softened for just a moment before he decided you maybe weren't worth the trouble, letting you go and taking a step back to brush off his clothing as though you'd dirtied him. He let out a deep breath and snickered as though nothing was wrong. "I've decided you're brave  _and_ stupid."

You were shaking like a leaf, body still pressed against the wall even as he made his way around you and stood in your doors entrance. His suddenly taunting tone was no help in calming you down, though maybe that's what he wanted. You hadn't felt this weak and vulnerable in your whole life, and if that was his goal he'd more than accomplished it. To be frank the very  _last_ thing on your mind was fighting him. 

"If I were you I'd be more careful," He said. You weren't sure if he was looking at you as you were still staring straight ahead, still too stunned (and afraid) to look at him. "Others may not be as forgiving as me."

"What's your name?" You managed out, barely moving an inch forward and shakily taking a glance at him through the corners of your eyes. He wasn't looking at you and seemed to be about to actually take his leave. He looked down for a moment, the silence almost deafening until he began to walk down the hall to your front door. You wanted to chase after him, to scream more questions because damn it you were part of this now, whatever 'it' was, but you didn't.  Instead you watched him turn your doorknob and pull it open as though he were just a casual visitor leaving after lunch. 

He looked at you in the corners of his eyes and disappeared, shutting the door behind him but not before clearly answering your question.

You clutched embarrassingly to your shirt like a damsel in distress, fingers desperate to hold something as his name played over and over in your head. It danced on the tip of your tongue and you dared to whisper in, partly in fear he could still hear you.

"Kuroo."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *___ = best (male) friends name

You dreamt of him nearly every single night following the day you Kuroo. Mostly they were nightmares, horrid dreams of him breaking into your room, stronger than you could ever even hope to be. Other nights the nightmares were ones depicting him and your mother, and those were the ones that had you waking up nearly in tears. Seeing him cutting stripes into her skin or holes into her body while you were powerless to stop him was so mind ravaging that you actually began to lose sleep in hopes of avoiding these dreams. When he was in your head and is wasn't a nightmare were also the ones where you'd be thrown off. 

In these dreams he'd sneak into your room, pushing your window open from the outside and crawling in without hassle. You wouldn't fear him, for some reason expecting him to arrive and feeling... Happy when he did. You and him would just seem to talk endlessly about things that didn't matter, sometimes even recalling memories you two shared that never even happened. For instance in one dream you could very clearly remember being at a schoolyard with him well past school hours, the sun long since fallen and leaving you two alone in a big empty field. It felt freeing when he'd take your hand and run, you right along with him cheerily living under the shining crescent moon. Another time he'd taken you a restaurant with a transparent roof, pointing out stars to you while you waited for your food to arrive. It was these dreams that would wake you up in the middle of the night leaving you to wonder how you truly felt about him. You feared him more than words could say but if you were dreaming of being  _with_  him, was that the truth?

Even throughout your days in school you'd think about him, often wondering what he was doing. You'd also occasionally wrack your brain about the things he'd said to you before disappearing . It annoyed you how vague he had been given he spoke with such urgency. If you were in danger you had more than a right to know who  _they_  were, and what  _they_  wanted. Still, you didn't dare find a way to try and summon Kuroo or make your way to him, worried if you did he'd certainly kill you for meddling in placed where you shouldn't have been. Plus, if  _they_  had eyes everywhere, then it's not telling what would happen should they find you actively seeking out the (assuming) enemy. Though your mind ached to try and think about what you'd unknowingly gotten yourself into, poking your nose where it shouldn't be would only put yourself and your mother in even more danger than before.

After another painstakingly slow day passed by and when you were released from your classes, you pulled your bag from your locker and slammed it shut behind you. 

"Rough day?" Your friend, *___ had asked. He pulled his own backup up his shoulders, leaning against his locker when you walked by. 

"I just want to get home." You said flatly. He followed behind you and stared up at the ceiling for a few moments before catching up to your side.

"Mind if I walk you out?" Though it was only a simple question and he was innocent in wondering, you still felt your nerve prickle. Lately you'd been more antisocial than normal, and just the idea of having to stand conversing for even a minute longer made you want to die.

Still, you slumped your shoulders and swallowed down your annoyance. "Yeah, sure."

"Awesome." *___ laughed, shoving his hands into his pockets. He was taller than you but he was a bit of a slouch, staring ahead and thankfully seemingly clearing a path into the sea of students all trying to leave as well. "So ___, you been feelin' okay?" He asked, still staring ahead.

You shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I've been sort of tired lately."

He nodded, rolling his shoulders. "Yeah same here. Is it just me or are the days getting longer and longer?"

"Longer and longer."

"Yep. God, I'd love to get outta this hell hole.," *___ waved goodbye at a teacher standing in the doorway of their classrooms. "Honestly I wouldn't be complainin' if this whole place went up in some sorta' freaky ass inferno."

A laugh forced its way through your throat at his very relatable words, the idea of being in a car with your mom leaving the city in the dust very appealing. You sighed at knowing that was only an idea, though. "If you could go anywhere, where would you go?"

"Honestly?" He replied, tossing his thoughts around in his head. "I have no idea. Haven't thought about it much I suppose."

You giggled again. "Do you actually plan on leaving?"

He looked down at you for a moment, narrowing his eyes before shrugging. "I mean I'd love to, but uh, I dunno. My dad's got all his stuff here and I mean he kinda needs me around for the little bro, y'know?" The torn feeling was evident in his voice, and you could relate as well.

"Same here. I think if it weren't for me my mom would've gone crazy by now."

"Oh yeah, she works at that one car shop right? Replacin' shitty parts here and there?"

"Yeah. It's really taxing on her, she works 12 or more hours a day except for sunday."

"Thank god for Sundays." He hummed. "You gonna follow in her footsteps or are you gonna be the bigshot who up and gets out?"

You bit at your lip. "I'd like to but unless mom comes with, I think I'm stuck here. I've tried talking to her about it but she won't really listen. She thinks there's no point in leaving when we've already got it soooo good here."

"If you two really left you'd be legends, y'know? We'd write your name on the hall of fame."

You laughed, head tipping back for a moment as you passed by a few darkened classrooms. "That'd be the dream."

The front doors were approaching fast, several of the students gathered around with their friend groups in front of it while waiting for their ride homes or for the buses to arrive. As you approached a teacher stood by the exit, seeming to just watch over all the groups. *___ made an effort to wave at her, shouting goodbye, but she just stared without much of an expression. He frowned, looking down at you for a minute before laughing it off at just being ignored. However you felt a bit more creeped out, and couldn't help but feel like she was looking straight at you. You gave her a half-assed smile, one that she did not return, thanked your friend for walking with you and hurried the hell out of there. Even as you walked by and pushed out the front doors her eyes never left you, her head turning just to watch you go.  It unsettled you in a way that you couldn't even describe, but you tried to ignore the feeling of being watched as you left.

Before you went into your apartment complex you stopped by the street lamp again, and upon inspecting it was fairly confused to see that the blood was seemingly... Gone. The first time you'd seen it the blood was quite obviously already stained into the concrete, but now there was no trace of it ever being there. If you hadn't already had an intimidating first meeting with Kuroo you would have thought that the one night had been a dream after all, but you knew that wasn't the case. 

As you finally entered your complex, taking the stairs now that most of your energy had returned, it began to rain. Unlike most people it never made you feel that solemn, instead it relaxed you. Nothing lulled you to sleep at night like a soft rainstorm. 

 Surprisingly when you opened the door your mother was on the couch facing the tv, enveloped in some sort of drama you couldn't care less about. She turned to look back at you, smiling and stretching when recognition took hold. 

"Hey sweetie," She yawned, standing up from her seat and clicking the tv off. "How was school?"

The memory that of that teacher watching you like a hawk rang through your head but you decided against talking about it. "It was fine." You said as you shrugged your backpack off. "How was work? You got off early?"

Your mom passed you by and walked into the kitchen, pulling the fridge open and grabbing a canned drink before tossing it to you. "Yeah, boss said I could take the rest of the shift off as a thanks for staying late last week."

The corners of your lips pulled down, head nodding. "Nice, if anyone deserves a break it's you."

"Aw, thanks honey." Her arm wrapped around your shoulder, pulling you in to kiss the top of your head. She sat back down on the couch but instead of turning the tv back on she laid down flat, holding a pillow over her face and groaning.

"So mom," You started, cracking open your soda and leaning against the wall. She gave some sort of grumbled response in acknowledgement so you continued. "Remember when I was younger and you said you'd tell me about the history of this town when I was older?"

She pushed the pillow down her face so only her narrowed eyes were visible. "Yes...?"

"Well, I'm older." Raising your brows you looked down at her expectantly. 

She sat up, hands burying themselves in her hair and nails scratching at her scalp. "Not old enough."

"Why won't you tell me? What could possible be  _so_ bad that I can't know?"

"You aren't ready." 

You stared at her incredulously. "Seriously? I'm graduating in like, 4 months!"

"And yet you still aren't old enough."

"Why not!" You stood behind the back of the couch definitely.

"Because I say so, ___!" She rubbed her eyes and stood up, a sigh escaping her. "I'm not having this conversation right now. I'm tired, okay?"

You frowned, hand gripping around your soda can. "You've been saying that since I was 12, mom. I live here too, I deserve to know!"

"And what!" She shouted as she threw her hands into the air in frustration. "Be paranoid for the rest of your life? Always wondering when the next big issue arrives? What kind of life is that?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You have no idea what goes on down there, ___. No one does." She turned her back on you and began making her way to her bedroom but you still followed close by, determined to finally get the answers you've been waiting for for years now.

"So then tell me what goes on there."

Your mom stood in the doors archway, turning around and shaking her head. "This place- This  _town_ , it's all... It's not normal."

You narrowed your eyes, tilting your head. "Not normal?"

"I'm sure you know it just as well as I do." She held the bridge of her nose between her index finger and thumb, pinching. "It's so dangerous at night. The things that lurk around here," She turned and looked into her bedroom, eyeing the window and the tops of the buildings visible outside through the rain. "They'd end you in a second."

"What are they?"

She looked back down at you and swallowed. "You don't need to worry. We have no part of them."

"No part of who?" 

"You don't need to know these things."

"I do, mom. I live here too."

She licked at her lips and then held the back of her hand to her eyes, turning away from you and moving to sit on her bed, shoulders slumping. She patted the spot beside her and you complied, sitting beside her. 

"When I was your age things got bad. Really bad." You didn't look up at her as she spoke, but the tenseness in her voice let you know she was having a hard time saying this all to you. "A lot of the people in this town don't know...  They think it was a fire, some freak accident, but I know better. I've done research, meddled in places I didn't belong. I paid for it all, this whole town did."

"What did you do?" You asked, voice just above a whisper.

Her fingers pressed into you, hugging you close. You heard her sniff and then swallow thickly. "___, the things out there are far too dangerous. They hunt, eat, kill whatever they can. Years ago when I was 19 and I was living with your grandma and grandpa there was an explosion that wiped out a lot of the assembly lines. The fire spread but it wasn't just the fire or the destruction, there was something else. I saw these things among it all, they're omens." 

"Omens?"

"Omens. They bring pain, chaos. I looked one right in the eyes and I  _felt_ it. The anger, the hatred, the need for power. Once everything settled and people began picking up the pieces I knew there was something more out there than just us. I tried so hard to learn but..." She sniffed again, free hand coming to wipe her eyes as her voice went nearly hoarse. "The omens, the monsters, they took things from me."

"Grandma and Grandpa?"

She frantically wiped her eyes again, nodding. "Yeah. After that I was done, I couldn't... I couldn't do anything. Then I met your father and well, we had you, but..."

"Did they take him too?" 

"No," She shook her head, clearing her throat. "He died of natural causes. He had a heart defect that caught up with him faster than we'd hoped it would. You were only a little baby."

Though you never knew your father you still choked up, a lump forming in your throat that you tried desperately to swallow back down. Your mother was a strong woman, and feeling her shoulders shake against yours was enough to have you wiping at your own eyes as well. 

"___ you have to understand that the things I do, keeping you inside at night, working late, everything I do, I do for you." She kissed the top of your head, resting her cheek upon the top of it. "Just-... Promise me that you'll keep yourself safe. You'll keep yourself out of that fire."

The thought of losing your mother was a horrendous one, and it made your chest feel heavy. You swallowed thickly and nodded, trying to calm yourself down. 

"I promise."

**Author's Note:**

> Please expect slow updates, as I face writer's block a lot.. Please leave comments as they help fuel me on! I hope you enjoy this as much as enjoyed writing it!


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